Theoretically, when John Szerlag is done with his overhaul
of the city of Troy, the only official municipal employees left standing could
be his city manager position and the police.

Szerlag is believed to be the first city manager in Michigan
to seek to privatize every function of city government except for the police and the
volunteer fire department.

There are bids from private contractors to replace the
functions of the buiding department as well as a golf course. He said he hopes
to have all city functions reviewed for privatization within a year.

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"We are looking at everything and anything in terms of what
can be done," said Dick Carlisle, a community planner consultant from Ann Arbor, who was hired to help in the transformation.

Szerlag's plan to farm out city duties comes as
the city has put a 1.9 millage increase for five years on the ballot that will
be voted on Tuesday. The millage would generate $37.7 million over five years, according to the city. If it is defeated, the average Troy tax bill will be $196
less a year.

But Szerlag said that even if the millage passes, he could layoff
up to 90 of his 430 employees, because
privatization is the more cost-efficient route.

On Tuesday, the Troy city manager will give an update to his
employees.

The process involves having a panel of experts — both
internal and external — come up with the specifications of the private bid.
Once bids are returned, a panel determines the lowest qualified bid.

Then the city departments have the opportunity to match or
beat the private bid to save their jobs.

Szerlag said privatization had to be considered because the
normal cost-cutting measures weren't enough.

"If we kept on running the way we had, we were economically
unsustainable," he said.

One Troy resident against the millage increase wonders why
it took so long to consider such cost-cutting measures.

"Why haven't you been doing
that before this point if we are in such bad shape?" asked Glenn Clark of Troy.
"Why haven't you attempted to reform before now, but only after a massive tax
hike?"